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Testing the Orca Navigation System over 450 miles
30 June 2026 · 14 min · 746 views
Sailor at helm steering Orca through calm blue sea
What this video covers
Reviewer Justin Morton tested the Orca navigation system across 450 miles for Practical Boat Owner magazine, evaluating all four components: the app (Android, Apple, and PC), the Core 2 hub, the 10-inch Android Display 2 tablet, and the wireless charging dock.▶ 0:00 The Core 2 combines a GNSS receiver, electronic compass, motion sensor, autopilot controller, and sailing processor; it connects to NMEA-2000 networks and links via Ethernet to Raymarine and Navico radar, then transmits data wirelessly to Orca-app devices.▶ 0:27 The Core 2 costs £599.▶ 11:55 Morton's strongest praise went to the Display 2 tablet: it survived a two-meter drop, stays waterproof while charging, and ran for eight and a half minutes longer than an iPad before overheating in direct sun — the iPad failed in eight and a half minutes flat.▶ 2:35 The hand-drawn anchor guard zone, route simulation with tidal-stream animation, and dark mode also drew praise.▶ 7:27 Criticisms include: stale depth readings displayed without a clear alert, no GNSS-loss warning on the home screen, wireless data locked to Orca-only apps, screen brightness adjustable only inside the app, and routing animations that slow passage planning.▶ 8:06 Morton concluded the tablet-plus-dock combination makes Orca a credible fixed chartplotter replacement, best suited to boats with aging systems, smaller cruiser-racers, or new builds.▶ 12:20
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